"Win or lose, we like to play."

What do Raffi and hockey have to do with chess?

I just picked up a copy of Raffi's newest children's album, "Love Bug", and I've been having a lot of fun listening to it in my car.  Raffi's music may be for kids, but there is a depth and a message there that is universal.

Anyway, one of the songs is called "On Hockey Days", and is basically a song about how much Raffi loves hockey. But I love the simplicity of the lyrics:

"Win or lose, we like to play."

And I realized that this is what I hope can always be my attitude towards chess - because, if it ever stops being fun, it's difficult to improve, and any improvement wouldn't be all that exciting anyway without the joy of the game.

As Bobby Fischer said, "You can only get good at chess if you love the game."

So I strive to play for fun, not for wins and losses, and I expect this is a healthy attitude that will have the nice perk of bringing me more wins in the long run.